Viral diseases afflict man, plants, insects, and animals. The prevention and control of viral diseases have important health and economic implications.
Viral diseases contribute to afflictions in humans including common colds, herpes, and cancer, and the importance of their control is obvious. It is important to control viral diseases in animals both for economic reasons and because animals can become virus reservoirs or carriers which facilitate the spreading of viral diseases to humans. Viral plant diseases have been known to disrupt the cultivation of fruit trees, tobacco, and various vegetables. Insect viral diseases are also of interest because of the insects' ability to transfer viral diseases to humans.
The prevention and control of viral diseases are thus of prime importance to man, and considerable research has been devoted to antiviral measures. Certain methods and chemical compositions have been developed which aid in inhibiting, controlling or destroying viruses. Nevertheless, additional methods and antiviral chemical compositions are needed.
A potential source for antiviral compositions is plant and animal life and of particular interest herein are marine sponges.